Ashton POV

The car halted at somewhere and I was woken up. But I pretended to be asleep and kept hearing Damian leave from the car. Where is he going? I opened my eyes to see Carlton and Damian walk somewhere far away from the cars and return after like ten minutes or so. I quickly shut my eyes when I noticed that Carlton was eyeing me. Then they began to smoke and talk about something which I wasn't able to hear. So I rested my head against the seat and waited for Damian to come back in. Ten more minutes passed and now Damian was back in the car and began to drive alongside Carlton's car. I woke up from my fake sleep and took the jacket off my now warm body. Damian looked at me and asked,

"Not sleepy anymore?"

He was tapping his hands on the steering wheel while looking at me from the side,

"Yeah, I feel refreshed now... Aren't you sleepy?"

I turned my hard to him and tried to stroke his cheek. But my fingers stopped after realizing that I still am with Carlton and not with Damian,

"Yes, kind of... But don't worry, I won't crash the car anywhere!"

He laughed a bit. His laugh reverberating through the car,

"Do you want me to drive the car for some time, and you get some rest?"

I asked him while propping on my hands on my knees,

"You know how to drive?"

He looked at me while raising his eyebrows,

"Yes, my Dad and Alexei taught me when I was sixteen... So yeah I can drive!"

I did a little victory dance and he stopped the car,

"Alright then here you go..."

He said and parked his car at the side of the road. I climbed out of the car and so did Damian. We both switched sides and began to drive the car. I saw Carlton's car nearing ours and I lowered the window. He was looking at me from his car and asked,

"You awake little one?"

He gave me a big smile and looked to me over Alexei's sleeping figure,

"Yeah... I guess you should wake Alexei up and make him drive too... You look tired!"

He shook his head as a no and kept driving. The drive went on nicely and we finally reached to my house in Greater Moncton Canada.

I climbed out my car so did Carlton. The rest of the group was sound asleep except Alexei, who also joined us outside the cars. I saw the front door of my house open and my Mom coming out of it along with Alexei's Mom. The inner child in both me and Alexei came alive and we ran towards our Moms to hug them. And we did, after a long hugging session I turned around to see all the sleepyheads awake and outside the car. Damian and Carlton were laughing at me and Alexei, just like yesterday. But we cared less. My Mom spoke from behind me in confusion,

"Who are these men Ashton?"

I gave a glance at the group and began,

"Mom... I'd like you to meet our friends and co-workers. This is Damian Williams, my Boss."

Damian, suddenly exuding a casual yet friendly demeanor to my Mom, extended his hand,

"Hello, Mrs. Gray. It's a Pleasure to meet you."

Carlton, with his trademark soft face and behavior, stepped forward next,

"Greetings, Mrs. Gray. It's an honor to be here."

Then I introduced Bian, who carried a sense of wonder about her,

"And this is Bian."

With a cheerful wave, Bian greeted warmly.

"Hi, aunty! Finally I get to see the lady who makes the best cupcakes! It's wonderful to finally see Canada."

My mom laughed a bit and said,

"Sure I'll give you some cupcakes to eat then Bian!"

Finally, I directed my attention to Felix,

"And last but not least, this is Felix."

Felix offered a sincere smile and a nod,

"Hello, Mrs. Gray. Thank you for having us over."

My mother, delighted to welcome these young guests, couldn't help but share her genuine enthusiasm,

"Nice to meet all of you! I can't believe my baby made so many great friends in New York so quickly!"

As the conversation continued outside the snowy front yard of my family home, there was a lighthearted air of camaraderie among the group. My mom, who was well aware of my sexual orientation and had always been supportive, decided to gently inquire about my relationship. With a knowing smile, she turned to me and asked,

"Ashton, dear, you've been spending a lot of time with these wonderful young men. Can you tell me, which one of them is your boyfriend?"

I felt a mixture of emotions at this unexpected question. I do appreciated my mom's openness and support, but I hadn't planned on discussing my relationship status in front of especially Damian. Cause I know how he acts when he's angry of evil. I don't want anything to happen now. So I smiled at her and was about to say something, but Alexei who wasn't entirely familiar with the group dynamics and mistakenly assumed Damian to be my boyfriend among the group. So he pointed at Damian and said confidently,

"Oh, it's Damian, Ashton's boyfriend."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment as my heart skipped a beat. Eyes widening to the size of saucers with surprise, and I felt a sudden rush of fear wash over me. I hadn't anticipated that Alexei would make such a declaration, and it wasn't true. Carlton is my boyfriend, and not Damian! I silently glanced at Damian, who appeared equally startled by the revelation. The silence that followed felt palpable, and I wondered how Damian would react to this unexpected twist. He also wondered how to correct the misunderstanding without making things more awkward.

My mom, still wearing her knowing smile, watched the scene unfold, waiting for me to respond and clarify the situation. The suspense in the air was thick, and everyone's eyes were fixed on me, waiting for my next words. In the midst of this unfolding situation, tension hung thick in the air, like a cloud of uncertainty waiting to burst. And I saw Carlton's eyes, which are usually warm and welcoming, had transformed into a fiery shade of red. It was a clear signal of his growing discomfort and frustration as he found himself inadvertently pushed into the spotlight. With remarkable composure, Carlton corrected Alexei, his voice carrying an air of authority which sent a shit ton of shivers down my spine,

"Actually, Alexei, Ashton and I are together."

I breathed a sigh of relief as Carlton's words brought clarity to the situation and not worsen it. The misunderstanding had been promptly addressed, and the truth was now out in the open. But the atmosphere remained charged, and all eyes remained on Carlton and me, waiting to see how this revelation would impact the group dynamics. However, my focus wasn't just on Carlton's reaction. Damian, who had been watching the scene unfold, couldn't conceal his disappointment. He let out an audible click of his tongue, a subtle but telling sign of his own feelings. His brows furrowed, and his sharp eyes, revealing the emotions that he had been suppressing. In that moment, it became clear that Damian had also hoped for something more with me...

Did he?

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TO BE CONTINUED...

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